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| Music to Move You | A funky world beat hip-hop novelty rap tune rings in holiday cheer! |
Christmas Wrappin' (Christmas/Novelty/Rap) | Play Short Clip | Lyrics | Read More About It Below | Buy It
The "old" Caroling Company. Karen Soroca is in the first row, far right.
For 13 years, from Dec. 1979 to the early 1990s, I was the musical director of the Caroling Company. Although we wore turn of the century costumes and were able to sing all the traditional carols, what set us apart from other caroling groups was the fact that most of us in the group had a theatrical background. We not only liked to sing but were also great performers. We were hams! Give us an audience and we would entertain. We also liked to do many of our own arrangements, arrangements with a jazz or contemporary flavor.
Diane Burt, daughter of the late composer, Alfred Burt, who wrote such American carols as "Caroling, Caroling" and "Some Children", along with the late Joe Allaine and Karen Soroca.
In the 1980s, we performed all over Hollywood. Many TV and film producers heard about us and hired us. We sang on GOOD MORNING, AMERICA, THE HOME SHOW, GENERAL HOSPITAL, CAPITOL, A BEVERLY HILLS CHRISTMAS WITH JAMES STEWART, THE BOB SHOW, SCROOGED, and THE ADDAMS FAMILY.
Karen Soroca in authentic turn of the Century skirt and blouse.
In the late 1980s, rap and hip-hop started to become popular. I thought that it would be great fun to perform a rap Christmas carol so I started writing CHRISTMAS WRAPPIN’. Then life happened. I ended up falling in love and moving north to San Rafael, CA to be with my husband and stepchildren. I also updated my computer. CHRISTMAS WRAPPIN’ got buried somewhere in the old WordPerfect files.
Then, recently, I was updating my computer and came across my WordPerfect files. I suddenly had the urge to look at CHRISTMAS WRAPPIN’ - only I couldn’t open the file. After a quick cry for help to my computer friend, Dave, I was able to open it. Although it needed some rewriting, I knew that it was time for this song to be heard. Janet and I reworked it, adding a hip hop beat and some world beat instruments to create CHRISTMAS WRAPPIN’.
Janet Marie, Jim Forsell and his wife, Karen Soroca, enjoy the awesome Sunday brunch at the Kapalua Bay Hotel in Maui, Hawaii.
CHRISTMAS WRAPPIN’ just makes you want to move. My husband, Jim (see photo above), a procrastinator who often waits until the last minute to wrap his Christmas gifts, plans on playing this song every Christmas to get motivated. Just tap, snap and wrap those presents! So, if you need some inspiration, just listen to CHRISTMAS WRAPPIN’. Before you know it, you’ll have painlessly completed the task at hand and had a great time doing it!
Brie Howard Darling, Ernie Perez, Karen Soroca (who also wrote) and Ted Andreadis, the "CHRISTMAS WRAPPERS, join co-writer Janet Marie (far right) outside the studio in Thousand Oaks, CA. For more studio photos, click here.
